This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-149246, filed May 28, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to an interconnector interposed between two terminal plates each having a plurality of electrodes (electrode groups), for electrically connecting them.
An anisotropic conductivity sheet is well known as an example of an interconnector of this type. The anisotropic conductivity sheet has an insulating sheet in which conductive fine particles, for example, are dispersed. If a compressing force is applied to the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet (i.e. in the thickness direction of the sheet), the conductive fine particles are brought into contact with each other, thereby enabling electrical connection only in the thickness direction. However, when such a compressing force is repeatedly applied to the anisotropic conductivity sheet to thereby execute electric connection, the elasticity of the sheet will be lost due to, for example, material fatigue. As a result, the life of the sheet will be reduced.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 55-111014 proposes an anisotropic conductivity sheet using conductive wires. In this anisotropic conductivity sheet, a great number of conductive wires are arranged substantially perpendicular to the surface of an insulating rubber sheet so that they extend through the sheet. The conductive wires are contained in the rubber sheet in a warped state. When manufacturing this anisotropic conductivity sheet, first, the conductive wires are distributed in a liquid rubber. Then, the conductive wires are aligned in the thickness direction of the sheet using a magnetic field, and a compressing force is applied to the rubber in a direction perpendicular to the surface of a to-be-formed sheet to thereby warp the conductive wires. In this state, the liquid rubber is hardened in the shape of a sheet.
In the anisotropic conductivity sheet of Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 55-111014, the compressing force is applied from the electrodes to the conductive wires. This means that a short life due to repeated application of a compressing force can be avoided. In this sheet, however, the conductive wires distributed in the liquid rubber must be arranged in the thickness direction of a to-be-formed sheet. Therefore, the conductive wires cannot be arranged into a desired pattern, and further a plurality of sheets cannot be manufactured simultaneously. This inevitably results in a low efficiency of production.
The present invention has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems.
It is an object of the invention to provide an interconnector capable of arranging a plurality of connecting terminals in accordance with the arrangement of electrodes incorporated in a to-be-connected object, and a method of manufacturing the interconnector.
It is another object of the invention to provide an interconnector which can be manufactured at highly efficiently, and a method of manufacturing the interconnector.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a highly durable interconnector, and a method of manufacturing the interconnector.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an interconnector, to be interposed between a pair of terminal plates each having a plurality of electrodes arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern, for electrically connecting corresponding electrodes of the terminal plates, comprising:
an insulating sheet; and
a plurality of connecting terminals,
wherein the connecting terminals each extend through the insulating sheet, each have opposite ends thereof projecting from respective opposite surfaces of the insulating sheet, are arranged in accordance with the predetermined arrangement pattern of the plurality of electrodes, and are fixed as one body in the insulating sheet.
In this interconnector, it is preferable that the insulating sheet is made of silicone rubber.
In this interconnector, it is also preferable that the connecting terminals are elastically deformable.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an interconnector to be interposed between a pair of terminal plates each having a plurality of electrodes arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern, for electrically connecting corresponding electrodes of the terminal plates, comprising the steps of:
arranging, in a container, two positioning plates that have a plurality of through holes arranged in a pattern corresponding to the predetermined arrangement pattern of the plurality of electrodes, the two positioning plates being separated from each other;
inserting conductive wires into the respective through holes of the two positioning plates;
alternately stacking, in the container, a plurality of insulating sheet layers and a plurality of separable synthetic resin layers, thereby forming a stacked body, the conductive wires being formed integral with each of the insulating sheet layers as one body;
separating the stacked body from the container;
cutting the stacked body at a predetermined portion of each of the synthetic resin layers in parallel with the insulating sheet layers; and
separating the cut synthetic resin layers from the insulating sheet layers.
In this method, it is preferable that the insulating sheet layers are made of silicone rubber.
It is also preferable that the method further comprises the step of positioning the two positioning plates such that the through holes of one of the positioning plates are aligned with the through holes of the other of the positioning plates, the positioning step being executed before the step of inserting the conductive wires (12A) into the respective through holes of the two positioning plates.
In the method, it is further preferable that in the step of forming the stacked body, lowermost and uppermost layers of the stacked body are formed of synthetic resin layers.
In the method, it is preferable that in the step of positioning the two positioning plates, the two positioning plates are positioned using at least one guide hole formed in each of the positioning plates.
In the method, it is yet further preferable that in the step of positioning the two positioning plates, the two positioning plates are positioned by placing the positioning plates close to each other in the container.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an interconnector to be interposed between a pair of terminal plates each having a plurality of electrodes arranged in a predetermined pattern, for electrically connecting corresponding electrodes of the terminal plates, comprising the steps of:
arranging, in a container, two positioning plates that have a plurality of through holes arranged in a pattern corresponding to the predetermined arrangement pattern of the plurality of electrodes, the two positioning plates being separated from each other;
inserting conductive wires into the respective through holes of the two positioning plates;
forming, in the container, at least one stacked body consisting of an insulating sheet layer and a separable synthetic resin layer, the conductive wires being formed integral with the insulating sheet layer as one body;
separating the stacked body from the container; and
separating the synthetic resin layer from the insulating sheet layer.
It is preferable that the method further comprises the step of cutting, into a predetermined length, those portions of the conductive wires, which project from the insulating sheet layer into the synthetic resin layer, the cutting step being executed before the step of separating the synthetic resin layer from the insulating sheet layer.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.